The invention relates to a method for the infeed of a fluid into an apparatus and to a column in which the method can be carried out.
In counterflow columns which contain installations for carrying out a heat and/or material exchange between a liquid and a gas, the gas must be fed in below the installations in such a manner that it flows upwards as uniformly as possible into the installations. Various known measures can be providedxe2x80x94alone or in combinationxe2x80x94for this, which however have disadvantages. These measures relate to the points at which the gas is fed in and the manner in which this is carried out: 1. A calming of the flow takes place in the space between the gas infeed point and the installations. The choice of a sufficiently large calming height would be advantageous per se, but is however often not possible for various reasonsxe2x80x94for example due to high costs or space problems. 2. Low inflow velocities of the gas which is fed in lead to a rapid calming of the flow. They can be achieved with a large number of infeed tubes and/or large diameters of the infeed tubes, but are again as a rule not realizable for the already named reasons. 3. Special constructions which enable a uniform gas distribution are complicated and therefore expensive and/or produce large pressure losses so that low pressure applications (pressure as a rule less than 100 mbar) do not come under consideration.
A simple gas distributor is known which acts as a deflection unit on the gas flow which is fed in. This deflection unit contains a baffle plate whichxe2x80x94arranged vertically ahead of the inlet junction of the infeed tubexe2x80x94is connected to the column wall by two horizontal plates above and below the inlet junction. With a deflection unit of this kind there results a distribution process in which two partial flows are formed which flow largely in mirror symmetry along the inner wall of the column and then after a reunion form a backwardly moving flow, the horizontal velocity component of which is directed radially to the deflection unit. This backwardly moving flow makes a relatively large height of the calming space above the deflection unit necessary.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method in which an improved distribution of the gas or of another fluid is possible with a simple deflection unit. This distribution should take place in a column or else in another apparatus, such as for example in a flooded solid bed reactor, in which a liquid is to be distributed above or below the solid bed.
In accordance with the invention, with the method a fluid is fed into an apparatus, in particular into a column, in which an infeed tube for the fluid opens into a deflection unit. The latter is arranged at a vertical distance from installations, in particular a column packing. Two partial flows are formed in the deflection unit which flow largely in mirror symmetry along an inner wall of the apparatus and then, after a reunion, form a backwardly moving flow, the horizontal velocity component of which is directed radially to the deflection unit. At least one third partial flow is formed by means of the deflection unit which is directed radially and oppositely with respect to the backwardly moving flow of the reunited partial flows. The third partial flow is developed so strongly that the backwardly moving flow is largely prevented from flowing through the column center.
The present invention also provides an apparatus, in particular a column, into which a fluid can be fed in accordance with the method of the invention.